Before the End
by kdiggy
Summary: Before Helgen, before being the Dragonborn was something people had hope for, before Maria knew anything about anything outside city walls. When a misunderstanding lands her in Riften prison, a shrouded man springs her out, willing to admit her into his little family. The Thieves Guild. Where will Maria's journey lead her, and how will it push her limits?
1. Wrongfully Accused

**Disclaimer: Although I use my own characters, Skyrim is in no way my creation. Aside from the few characters I make for this story, everything else is property of their respective owners!**

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Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter 1

The sun was shining brilliantly, high in the sky, casting its warming glow onto everything in Riften. I was walking through the market, gazing at all the shops. I carried no money on my person, feeling no need to buy anything I wouldn't need later on. I didn't have much money to spend, anyways! As I walked down the paved pathway, I felt slightly uncomfortable in my own skin. I was an Imperial. An Imperial in Skyrim who didn't have any family except for a younger brother who was off fighting for the Imperials in the war. Things were complicated.

I passed a booth, glancing over when I saw shining gold and gems in my peripheral vision. It was all so fantastic! All of it handcrafted as well, and I simply bit down on the inside of my cheek. Shiny objects got to me, this I had to admit. Nothing in my life was straight out fabulous, everything seemingly dull especially because I lived in such a dreary city like Riften.

I brushed a strand of auburn hair behind my ear, glancing up simply to see a guard with his head turned directly in my direction. Although I couldn't see his stare, I could feel his eyes burning into my skull and I simply rubbed my arm with my hand. Pressing my lips together, I continued out of the market area and onto a wooden bridge that creaked under my feet. Below me, man-made canals carried wooden boats along at a leisurely pace. I had never actually been down there, scared of all the talk of the Thieves Guild and such. No, not scared. Simply concerned. Besides, they weren't even active!

As I walked along, I had a distinct feeling like I was being watched, so I walked a little faster. All I wanted to do was get to the inn where I had been staying for the past week. I didn't have the coin to buy a place of my own, and Keerava, the inn keeper, let me work to pay off the majority of the coin.

Behind me, I heard a soft noise, like someone had been trying their best to keep quiet but shifted their weight in the wrong way. A feeling of dread fell into the pit of my stomach, and I prayed to the Divines that I was just overreacting. I __did__ tend to do that a lot.

I stopped in my tracks, turning around slowly. All I saw was a guard, standing with his arms crossed. Was this the same one? I couldn't tell with the helmet and all. I spoke, unsure of myself as I stared at the unforgiving metal of his face. "Can I-" She stopped mid sentence, clearing her throat. It felt like it hadn't talked in ages. "Excuse me..." I murmured with an embarrassed look before looking back up. I had to be able to face this with a sense of strength or no one would take me seriously. "Can I be of any assistance?"

He stared for a while longer, probably only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. "You are Maria Arnold?" He questioned in a thickly accented voice. The dread in my stomach fell even further, and I honestly didn't know why. I had done nothing wrong, so there was nothing to be worried about!

"Yes? Is there something the matter?" My heart started beating as a nauseating rate. Had something happened to Christian, my brother? No, that couldn't be right. He was fighting for the Empire and Riften was Stormcloak controlled.

This time, the guard wasted no time in securing a grip on my arm. "I'll need you to come with me," He growled, his voice rumbling in his throat like that of a growling beast. All I could do was just stare, letting a look of despair wash over me before quickly centering myself.

"On what grounds?" No answer. "I'm expecting a reply!" I felt myself being dragged in the direction of Mistveil Keep, the core of the whole city. Sadly, this was also home to the Riften Prison.

There was no noise from the guard as he took me down the corridor and I desperately tried to calm my heartbeat. Honestly, I sounded like a frightened rabbit! I took a moment to distract myself from the current situation and look around. We were heading straight for the cells, if I was correct. I hadn't had to need to visit the cells, but I had at one point bailed Christian out. That was an event that spent nearly all of my gold.

I was escorted, or dragged, to a cell and I stared at it with my pastel green eyes widened. "Are you still not going to tell me what's going on?" I demanded, trying to up the power in my voice. Even I was surprised with the authority that it held.

For the guard, however, this did not bode well. "Empty your pockets, _m'lady,_ " He said, his voice full of the venom I didn't expect in a guards voice. Of course, I had to comply, especially when I glanced at the sword that was sheathed on his hip. I stuck my hands into my pockets, taking out only a few items. It was lucky that I didn't bring gold.

Once I had been inspected for anything that could aid in my escape, I was pushed roughly into the cell. I, unwillingly, fell onto my hands and my eyes widened in surprise. What was going on? I could hear the heavy lock on the door as it sealed my fate; a fate I did not know I would suffer. How long was I going to be in this prison?

There was a small bed in the space that made me cringe. I had slept in terrible places before, but this just made my skin crawl. I finally got up off of the dusty ground and moved towards it with my face the model of uncertainty. I was exhausted, and I didn't know why. It was probably from all the stress from those few moments of panic... I got down onto the bed, lightly closing my eye. I swear that I saw something scurry away as soon as my slender framed body hit the rock like mattress. Soon enough, sleep overcame me like an ocean wave on the sandy shore.

My eyes quickly opened, my mind having no idea what time of day it was. How long had I been sleeping? Minutes? Hours? By the barred cell door, there was a wooden tray with a small slice of bread on it. They certainly had the eye for fine cuisine, but I was hungry nonetheless.

In just a few seconds, I hate gobbled the bread down. This was not a great feat since the slice was around the size of a small mouse. I sat back, unsatisfied, on the ground while I hugged my knees to my chest. When had everything become so difficult? She had been perfectly happy picking up plates and empty mugs back at The Bee and Barb.

Just as I was about to stand back up, there was the soft noise of footsteps. My eyes turned towards the small corridor where a guard sat in a chair, and my eyebrows knit together on my forehead. Just as I was about to turn around to get back to my bed, the guard let out a hair splitting screech. I whirled around, my eyes wide and my heart thudding in my chest.

A person, or a shadow, crept out from the hallway and towards my cell. I took a step back, taking note of the bloody dagger that this thing held. It was hard to see what they were wearing because of the shadows, but I could now tell that this was a man. A man that left a trail of blood droplets. He stood up to his full height, taller then me, but not over sized. I could barely make out his frame; slightly broad shoulders with a lean build. I didn't doubt the muscle power.

He got even closer, but I stood my ground. Besides, there was a cell door blocking us. I only hoped that would be enough. He stopped right in front of me, and I found myself sizing him up. Sizing him up in a way that I would know what to do if he attacked, or at least try to carry out those plans.

I decided to speak, my throat dry like before. Perhaps I was dehydrated... "Who are you?" I asked in a quiet voice, the walls causing my question the echo off the walls of the prison. The whole ordeal was quite eerie.

Unlike the guard, he answered right away, as if he had planned his response from the very beginning. "Let's get you out of here."


	2. Valan Kjarssen

**Disclaimer: Although I use my own characters, Skyrim is in no way my creation. Aside from the few characters I make for this story, everything else is property of their respective owners!**

Authors Note: I use some of my own characters! Not all, but definitely most, characters are Skyrim created!

Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter 2

 _I decided to speak, my throat dry like before. Perhaps I was dehydrated... "Who are you?" I asked in a quiet voice, the walls causing my question the echo throughout the prison. The whole ordeal was quite eerie._

 _Unlike the guard, he answered right away, as if he had planned his response from the very beginning. "Let's get you out of here."_

I could only stare in surprise, confusion dawning on my face. However, before I could say anything, the man was already at work on the lock. Within a matter of seconds, the door popped open and the man waited expectantly.

By now, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and the less than adequate lighting. I could tell that he had a chiseled face, but he was wearing a dark cowl over his head that hid the rest of his face. I found myself staring, and quickly snapped out of my curious daze.

"Well? Do you _want_ to stay in this cell?" He questioned, his voice low and slightly rough. By now, I was gathering as much information on this vigilante as possible.

"What?" I questioned, processing his question rather slowly in my state. "I mean-No! No, I don't want to stay here!" I stuttered, shaking my head violently. The man just chuckled, putting his knife in its sheath.

I frowned slightly at his chuckle, but said nothing to protest. He _was_ breaking me out, after all. With a nod of his head, he started to lead me back down the hallway where he came. As we walked past, I could see the body of the guard, and I pressed my lips together in disgust. I had never been one for death, or blood for that matter.

It wasn't long until I emerged into the darkness of Riften. Perhaps I had been sleeping for a while since I was locked up earlier in the morning. I looked towards the vigilante, who wasted no time in grabbing my arm and pulling me away into the shadows. There was no time for formalities, even though I desperately wanted to know what was happening.

There was a small opening in the wall, as if someone had chiseled away at the stone until some finally came loose. He looked at me, then back to the hole. "Come on then, move it!" He snapped, seemingly frustrated with my frozen state. Not wanting to displease, I scrambled quickly through the opening, my slender body easily getting through.

The hole was not that big, and I wondered how my rescuer would get through. I couldn't just wander all of Skyrim all by my lonesome! Just as I was about to call out, I could see his dark form gracefully peak over the stone and down onto the green grass below.

He started on, with myself stumbling after him. I was still so disoriented. Disoriented from lack of nutrients and of the fact that I was just in prison. Maybe this man knew what was going on, but something about his demeanor made me hold my tongue.

After what seemed like miles of trekking through the forests of the Rift, we finally reached a small village by a river. Everything seemed so peaceful compared to the city where I had been living. I tried to recall its name, pursing my lips ever so slightly as I looked around. Riverwood.

"Come with me," Was all he said as we both walked a short distance to an inn that was apparently called the Sleeping Giant Inn. What a creative name. We entered, the scent of burning wood and mead hanging in the air and it made me cough. Though I worked in an inn, that sudden rush of smells would never be something I would be used to.

The man led me to an empty bench, sitting down with room next to him. I assumed that this was when I could start questioning. I sat down, obeying his silent wish, and stared at him intently while he removed his cowl.

At first glance, he would seem to be an averagely attractive man, clearly some kind of adventurer since one could clearly see his face was not smooth and clean like a nobles or "pretty boy." His eyes, which appeared brown, contained speckles of amber in them against his fair toned skin. His hair was a deep black color that was short enough to not hang in his eyes, but long enough to actually run your fingers through.

"Like what you see or are you just sleep deprived?" He questioned, letting out a rumbling chuckle as he crossed his arms. Even with us both sitting, he towered over me, making me feel small.

I furrowed my eyebrows at his statement, clenching my teeth together. No, I wouldn't get mad at him. Not just after he saved me! "No... I just want to know who you are," I replied, switching the attention back to him.

He smirked slightly, shaking his head with amusement written clean on his face. He sure was comfortable in such a worrisome situation! "Valan Kjarssen, and you're Maria Arnold. I can tell you aren't around here," He said, signaling to a woman with blonde hair who brought two mugs of mead and set them down on the table.

"If you need anything, give me a holler," The blonde woman said, turning around and continuing with various chores around the inn.

Valan offered me the pint, and I gingerly took it. Maybe this was what I needed to calm my nerves, and I didn't always have the chance to try real nord mead. The nord male took a swig as if it was nothing, setting the metal cup on the wooden table with a loud clank.

"How do you know me?" I asked, following his lead, but setting the cup gently down on the splintered surface.

Kjarssen looked at me with yet another amused expression, a look I was getting quite tired of. "Pass."

I stared at him for a few seconds in confusion, not comprehending. "Pass?" I echoed, not harshly, but more to myself with my lips slightly pursed. My light green eyes stared at him with the same uncertainty etched across my face.

"Listen, Princess, I didn't say I would answer your questions. I honestly didn't say _anything_."

I kept staring, turning forwards so that I facing the wall with confusion still on my face. He wasn't going to answer my questions? At least I knew his name, though. I took another drink of my mead. This was going to be a long night.

The innkeeper, the blonde woman named Delphine, was able to set us up with two rooms for the night. Apparently, Valan and I were going to be heading to some sort of safe house while his associates took care of my legal trouble, whatever that meant. I hadn't even broken the law, right?

I sighed deeply, walking into my room and closing the door behind me. Maybe so sleep would help me get my thoughts straight. As I looked towards the bed, I already felt my body calling for it like I had been in that prison cell for years. Good thing I wasn't, or I probably wouldn't be able to feel my own limbs!

I laid myself down on the bed, not caring that I was still wearing the same clothes. As soon as my body hit the sheets, I felt my exhaustion first hand. In seconds, I closed my eyes and was fast asleep with my body curled up comfortably.

I woke up, feeling hot breath on my face. "Hey, Maria, wake up," a voice whispered in a soft but stern tone. I opened my eyes quickly, knitting my eyebrows together, and then having my eyes widen in surprise. Valan stood above me, leaning down and peering at my face.

"Oh!" I exclaims, scrambling back and sitting up so he wasn't hovering over me. "What's wrong?" I asked, looking out the window. It looked like the sun hadn't even peaked over the horizon.

"We set out now. My associates contacted me. You're cleared up," He said, taking a step back from the bed and crossing his arms. "Right now, we're heading to Whiterun to get some supplies." With that, he left the room.

I scrambled to my feat, following him quickly. I turned to the innkeeper, who was surprisingly awake, sending her a smile. "Thank you for your hospitality!" I ran after Valan, exiting the inn and looking around. The city was a ghost town. I spotted my companion, and jogged beside him. "When we get back to Riften, will you answer my questions?"

Valan looked at me with a sideways glance, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah, sure. I guess I do owe you some answers."

I looked at the ground in front of me as I walked, feeling pleased with myself. Maybe this whole ordeal wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	3. New Resources

**Disclaimer: Although I use my own characters, Skyrim is in no way my creation. Aside from the few characters I make for this story, everything else is property of their respective owners!**

Authors Note: I use some of my own characters! Not all, but definitely most, characters are Skyrim created!

Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter 3

 _"Right now, we're heading to Whiterun to get some supplies." With that, he left the room._

" _When we get back to Riften, will you answer my questions?"_

 _Valan looked at me with a sideways glance, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah, sure. I guess I do owe you some answers."_

 _I looked at the ground in front of me as I walked, feeling pleased with myself. Maybe this whole ordeal wasn't going to be so bad after all._

We had walked for a short amount of time, Riverwood visible from our vantage point, when Valan stuck his hand out in front of me. I looked up in surprise, stepping back as a reflex. I looked around, not seeing anything.

"What's wrong?" I asked, being silenced with a stern look from Valan. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. Was this some sort of trick to scare me? From how he had been acting since they met, he sure seemed like the type!

Just as I was about to walk around his arm, he pushed me into the bushes beside the path. Hard. I let out a short shriek, feeling small branches scratch at my bared arms. I wasn't wearing a heavy set of armor, I was wearing simple common clothes. I felt immediately embarrassed. Why would I need armor against a bush?

Outside of my cover I heard growling and grunting, causing my heart rate to pick up speed. What was going on beyond the push I was pushed into? I listened very carefully, the color draining from my face when I heard everything stop. Was Valan hurt? Dead, even? I held my breath, not daring to breath.

Throwing away my fear, I peaked out from the branches and leaves, seeing nothing but some blood. "Valan?" I hissed in a quiet voice, not daring to raise the volume just in case.

"Were you _that_ scared? You look like you've seen a ghost," Said a voice from the other side of the bush. I quickly came out of my cover, having to crawl to get through the thicket of sharp thorns.

"Well, when everything quieted down, I didn't know what had happened," I said, turning around to face him and asses. He seemed to be unscathed, but the two wolves next to him were not. He held his dagger in his hand, and I recalled when he had killed the guard without mercy.

Valan must have seen my look of disgust and quickly put his knife away. "If you don't like the sight, don't look at it!" He exclaimed, walking back onto the path and forward as if nothing had happened. Valan truly was a blunt person!

However, I didn't reply and instead followed after him. We reached a flat plain, and I could spot Whiterun surrounded by different mills and farms. I had never been to the city, but I was quite excited. "How long will we be in the city?" I asked without looking at Valan, my green eyes still glued on the tall walls. It looked so welcoming, unlike Riften.

"This isn't a little vacation, Princess. Just in and out to get supplies, and then we head back to the Rift," He said in a monotonous voice, following my example and not looking at me either. I frowned slightly at his answer, disappointed. I perked up, however, at the thought of his supply run taking a long time. Maybe I would get a chance to view the sights while he heckled with shopkeepers!

After a short while, we arrived in the city. It was so vivid! Everything was so bright, and there were so many smells. I could see a blacksmith immediately to our right when we entered the city and I loved the sound of her hammer hitting the metal. The sky was so blue with clouds going across it like giant dancers. Valan peered at me, letting out a short laugh that took me back to the present.

"What? I've never been to Whiterun before..." I murmured, trailing off when I saw the market place just ahead. "Let's head there! It looks so much more exciting than Riften's!" I exclaimed, forgetting about his laugh in a matter of seconds.

We headed up to the market with myself walking at a brisk pace. I stopped in the middle, taking in the scents of the produce. Although there weren't many stalls, there were plenty of colors and smells! Valan reached my side, and my eye caught the glimmer of jewels and metals. I immediately went over to that stall, seeing an older woman selling them.

"Shiny trinkets for your good lady. All crafted by the great Eorlund Gray-Mane himself!" She called out to us as we headed over and I laughed slightly. Boy, was she wrong.

"Your jewelry is all so beautiful!" I exclaimed, a ruby ring catching my eye. I loved the ferocity it hinted at, a smile on my face.

"Finest in all of Skyrim!" The woman said proudly, a loving look in her eyes.

"Maria, we aren't here to barter," Valan said, clearly getting fed up with my fascination. He said when he couldn't get me attention, shaking his head. "I'm going to get my supplies, you go take in all the sights of the city." His tone was clearly not happy, but he would do a better job shopping if I wasn't with him.

I stood up straight, nodding my head curtly. "That would be great. Ill meet you back here in an hour or so?" I questioned, receiving a nod from Valan.

"Yeah, sure... Just try not to get caught up in anything illegal while I'm gone," He said, laughing at his own joke as he walked away to get his supplies whatever they were.

I quickly scaled the stairs that led to the second level of the city and saw a magnificent, but dying tree. It was fantastic! There were people everywhere, including guards, but I payed them no mind. I walked around the tree, stopping in my tracks when I saw the castle like structure at the tallest point of the city. That had to be Dragonsreach. I had heard stories about the castle; stories like a previous Jarl trapping a dragon _inside_! That just couldn't be true.

I started up the steps, but heard someone call out from behind me. "Maria!"

I whirled around, spotting Valan running up beside me. "Come on. It's time to go," He said, looking behind him. Two guards were walking swiftly in our direction and I widened my eyes. Without making a sound or protest, I followed him at a very quick pace towards the gates of the city. He avoided eye contact with everyone as we exited the city. Once we were clear of the area, I turned to face him with my arms crossed and my eyes narrowed.

"What was that about?" I asked, knowing that he wasn't some saint since he had sprung me from prison and killed the guard, but that didn't mean I didn't deserve an answer!

"I forgot that I had a little bit of a bounty in Whiterun," Valan muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll tell you everything when we get to Riften, but for now let's just keep moving. I want to be clear of any guards... You know, to avoid conflict," He added, looking embarrassed.

I couldn't help but laugh a bit, not at his bounty, but at how flustered he was getting about it. It was nice to be able to laugh at _him_ for a change.

Valan seemed to notice this and scowled, turning his head so he wasn't looking at me. "Lets go," He said bluntly, starting to walk along the road that led to Riften.

We made it about halfway to Riften when darkness fell over land, making it near impossible to see anything without a torch. Since we didn't have a torch, or spells for that matter, we decided to rest for the night.

"We don't have anything to set up camp with," He said, looking at a small clearing that was free of rocks. "So, we'll have to sleep on the ground. Nothing you can't handle , though, right?" He said, as if daring me to say something against sleeping on the ground.

"No! I'm fine with this," I reply quickly, proving my point by sitting down on the ground. "The sooner we get back to Riften, the better!"

Valan gave me a short nod, sitting down on the ground a ways away from me. He lay down on his back, closing his eyes lightly with his hands behind his head. I looked at him for a short while before doing the same, using my arm as a support for my head. Hopefully we would be able to get some food soon, because I was seriously starving! This didn't seem to keep me from falling asleep, however, and I drifted away into nothingness.

I woke up on my own this time, feeling the cold of the early morning air sinking through my skin until it chilled my bones. I stood up, casting a glance in Valan's direction, noticing that he wasn't there. Where had he gone? I looked around, taking in the cold morning air. I wasn't worried since he had shown no sign of abandoning me, but there was still a feeling of worry in the pit of my stomach.

I waited for about an hour, the sun finally peaking over the mountains when I heard footsteps coming from the pathway. Whirling around, I spotted Valan on his way in my directions, a large cloth bag in his hand. I gave him a curious expression, crossing my arms.

"Where did you go?" I brushed some hair out of my face as I awaited an answer. He smirked slightly, lips curling upwards in a look I wanted to slap away.

"While you were asleep," He said all the while opening the cloth bag, "I did a quick trip back to Whiterun. Not the smartest move considering what happened, but I couldn't sleep."

Valan beckoned me over to him and I approached hesitantly, not knowing what to expect. He pulled a sword out, the metal shiny and new, made out of steel. I looked at him in surprise, raising my eyebrows.

"For you," He said, rather regally, and I carefully took the hilt of the sword.

"This is Skyforge steel, isn't it?" I asked, slightly in awe. How had he gotten his hands on this? Companions carried these, yes, and Eorlund forged them.

"Wasn't too hard," Valan replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I just thought you might need something like that to defend yourself in the future. I'll have someone teach you when we get back to Riften."

I nodded my head, tightening my grip on the sword with a deep breath. "Okay," I said, pressing my lips together. I had never used a sword before in my life. "Let's get going, then," I added quickly, turning on my heel and heading down the road again.

In just a short amount of time I had been sprung from prison, met some sort of criminal, ran from Whiterun guards, and got a sword from said criminal. Things were crazy, but that was something new I was willing to try.


End file.
